


I Remember Your Smile

by Amonae



Series: Holiday Gifts 2016 [6]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Happy Ending, Inspired by Music, M/M, Sad, seriously do not listen to the song while reading this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-20 20:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9515252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amonae/pseuds/Amonae
Summary: Tony creates a playlist of songs he thinks that Steve would enjoy. Steve reacts more than he thought to one in particular.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [morphia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/morphia/gifts).



> For [Morphia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/morphia), who has been incredible helpful with all of my floundering and plotless screeching. I hope that you enjoy this rather-belated “holiday gift.” I know things have been completely crazy lately, but here’s to hoping for a better 2017! :)
> 
> Your word, if you have forgotten, was “frisson.”
> 
> The song is "Only Forever" by Bing Crosby.
> 
> Thank you so much [dapperanachronism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dapperanachronism) and [robin_tcj](https://archiveofourown.org/users/robin_tcj) for all of your help with this one!

It wasn’t the first time that Tony had foisted a small device packed with music on him, and Steve was fairly certain that it wouldn’t be the last, but it was the first time that the songs were immediately familiar to him. Jimmy Dorsey filtered through his headphones, the upbeat tempo of the big band reminding Steve of a different time, a different place, a different era. He found himself quickly lost in the melodies and rhythm, humming a few bars to himself when he’d made sure that none of the other Avengers had made their way down to the common room. 

He was just debating the merits of taking his listening to his private quarters when the next song started in and froze him to the core. The tune was achingly familiar, in a way that made his breath catch and hold as he tried to keep himself together. His heart gave a tight squeeze as the vocals came in, soft and mellow.

_“Do I want to be with you, as the years come and go?”_

Steve found himself clutching the little media device a bit too hard, his knuckles starting to turn white where they were gripping _tight_.

_“Only forever, if you care to know.”_

This song had been _their_ song, before there had even been an inkling of a “them” at all. Steve still knew all the words, still remembered dancing around his shoebox-sized room pre-Rebirth and re-learning the steps all over again afterwards. Steve had thought he would never listen to it again.

_“Would I grant all your wishes, and be proud of the task?”_

He had pushed the melody from his mind, after the plane had gone down. Hadn’t thought about it in the slightest since he woke in the twenty-first century. And now, here it was, pulling him right back in.

_“Only forever, if someone should ask.”_

Steve couldn’t bring himself to hit the pause button, couldn’t lift his hands to pull the headphones from his ears. He could feel the shiver running through his spine even before his body provided a physical reaction.

_“How long would it take me, to be near if you beckon?”_

There was something throwing him about listening to this song while staring at the modern furnishing of the tower. Steve found his eyes slipping shut without really thinking about it.

_“Off hand I would figure, less than a second.”_

He didn’t have to put much effort into remembering the twist and curl of dark hair, the arch of a brow or quirk of a bright-red lip. It had felt like only yesterday, even though he knew it wasn’t, knew it had been too long, that he’d missed his chance for that first dance.

_“Do you think I’ll remember, how you looked when you smile?”_

Steve found a smile creeping onto his lips around the same time he felt his arms start to break out in gooseflesh. He lifted his hands to his biceps, finding himself clinging too-tight, holding to his own body like an anchor as the tune pulled him along with the waves.

_“Only forever, that’s puttin’ it mild.”_

The tears were rolling down his cheeks before he could register the familiar prickling at the corners of his eyes. Steve let them fall, allowed himself this one moment of regret for a lifetime of moments he’d missed. It wasn’t often he let himself dwell on it, let himself think about how everyone he’d expected to grow old with had long-since passed and here he was, somehow living as a man out of time. Living when he should have died along with all of them. Dugan, Falsworth, Morita, Dernier, Jones, Sawyer, Pinkerton. 

_Peggy._

Steve’s breath hitched around the same time he heard something at the doorway, something outside of the instrumental interlude of the song. He lifted his head and opened his eyes to see Tony, hovering just inside the doorframe, a mottled compilation of concern and panic filtering over his features. Steve could see his lips making out the shape of his name before he was crossing the room, dropping to his knees in front of the couch and running worried fingers across Steve’s face. Tony’s thumbs brushed tenderly across Steve’s cheekbones, wiping away the twin-trails of dampness. He was still speaking, but all Steve could hear was the song.

_“How long would it take me, to be near if you beckon?  
Off hand I would figure, less than a second.”_

Tony gingerly pulled one headphone from Steve’s ear, a concerned frown on his face. “Steve? Are you okay? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to–”

A gentle smile pulled at the corners of Steve’s lips, his arms moving to wrap around Tony’s shoulders and drag him in close. Steve buried his face in the curve of Tony’s collarbone, letting himself hold tight.

“Steve?”

_“Do you think I’ll remember, how you looked when you smile?  
Only forever, that’s puttin’ it mild.”_

“I’m okay,” Steve answered quietly, his voice sounding rough, gravelly, even to his own ears. “I’m okay,” he repeated, feeling Tony settle against him, no longer a taut string of worry. 

Steve might have lost his chance with Peggy, but he knew that through some miracle, he’d been given a second one. He tightened his grip around the man in his arms. There was no way he was going to waste this one, too. “Tony?”

“Yeah?” came the quiet reply, Tony gently sweeping his fingers through Steve’s hair in calming motions.

“I love you.”

Steve could feel Tony’s smile against his temple as the man turned to press a soft kiss to the side of Steve’s head. “Love you too, Steve.”


End file.
